Benjamin Law (born 1982) is an Australian author, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his books The Family Law, a family memoir published in 2010, and the TV series of the same name. He hosts the radio programme and podcast Stop Everything! for ABC Radio National.
Early life and education
Born in around 1982"Law unto himself: The Family Law author Benjamin Law". Meld, 27 March 2012. Nambour, Queensland, to immigrant parents from Hong Kong and Malaysia, He was educated at Immanuel Lutheran College on the Sunshine Coast. He has a PhD in creative writing and cultural studies from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
He is gay.
Career The Family Law is a family memoir published in 2010. It was a shortlisted nominee for Book of the Year at the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards, and was adapted by Matchbox Pictures into a six-part television series for the SBS network in 2016, which Law created and co-wrote with Marieke Hardy (Series 1) and Kirsty Fisher and Lawrence Leung (Series 2)."Benjamin Law Comedy in Production at Matchbox Pictures". Pedestrian Daily, 16 October 2013. It won the Screen Producers Awards for Best Comedy (2016) and was nominated for two AACTA Awards. In 2012 Law published Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, a journalistic exploration of LGBT life in Asia.Robert Dessaix, "Queer and Loathing". The Monthly, September 2012. At the 2012 Sydney Writers' Festival,Harmer, Wendy & Law, Benjamin & Capsis, Paul (2012), Bully for you, ABC1, Sydney, N.S.W. he presented on the topic of bullying, for a panel with Wendy Harmer and Paul Capsis.
In November 2015, he advocated for gay people in a public discussion hosted by Mildura Pride (a Mildura Rural City Council Initiative). The social inclusion initiative focused on making Mildura more welcoming for LGBTIQ communities.
In April 2018, Law became an ambassador for the National Library of Australia.
As a journalist, he has contributed to publications including Frankie, The Australian Financial Review, The Saturday Paper,"Benjamin Law" The Saturday Paper, 20 December 2014 The Monthly (including a 2014 supplement on the Museum of Old and New Art), The Courier-Mail and its Qweekend supplement, Griffith Review, New Matilda, Fairfax Media's Good Weekend magazine, The Big Issue and Crikey.
Law is founder member of the Australian Writers' Guild's Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee, along with Kodie Bedford and others. Law served as a judge for the 2025 National Photographic Portrait Prize.
Bibliography Books The Family Law (2010, ) Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (2012, )
Co-authored Sh*t Asian mothers say, Collingwood, Vic. : Black Inc. (2014, ) – with sister Michelle Law Law School : sex and relationship advice from Benjamin Law and his mum Jenny Phang, Melbourne, Vic. Brow Books (2017, )
Contributed chapters "Tourism", pp. 147–152, and "Towards manhood", pp. 195–203, in: Growing up Asian in Australia, Melbourne, Black Inc. (2008, ) In: Voracious: best new Australian food writing, edited by Paul McNally, Prahran, Vic. : Hardie Grant Books (2011, ) In: I'm not racist but ... forty years of the Racial Discrimination Act, by Tim Soutphommasane, Sydney, N.S.W. NewSouth Publishing (2015, ) In: The book that made me, edited by Judith Ridge, Newtown, NSW Walker Books Australia (2016, ) "Beijing", pp. -49, in: Best Australian comedy writing, edited by Luke Ryan, Affirm Press, South Melbourne, Victoria (2016, )
Introductions In: Me and Mr Booker, by Cory Taylor, Melbourne, Victoria : The Text Publishing Company (2017, )
Essays and reporting
"Chinese-Australian history predates the first fleet – and my family helped me find out how". The Guardian, 24 July 2019.
Interviews The women who shaped my life (August 2010). Cleo, pp. 100–102. Morris, Linda (21 December 2012). "Benjamin Law". The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 6. Tabart, Sally (July 2019). "A Day In The Life Of Benjamin Law, Writer". The Design Files. Tabart, Sally (April 2020). "Times Like These... With Writer Ben Law". The Design Files.
As editor Growing Up Queer in Australia (2019, )
Filmography
Law's work includes:
As writer
YearTitleNotes2016-19 The Family Law Creator/script writer (based on his memoir)2017 Sisters Episode 32021 New Gold Mountain2023 Wellmania2025Claire Hooper's House of GamesSelf; 5 episodes
As actor YearTitleRoleNotes2018Freudian SlipJacob's IdWeb series
Other work
YearTitleRoleNotes2016 Deep Water: The Real Story Researcher/associate producer Documentary film2018 Filthy Rich and Homeless Himself/participant Docuseries2018–present That Startup ShowThat Startup Show Co-host Web series2019 Waltzing the Dragon Presenter Two-part documentary2023 Australian Survivor Contestant 11 episodes; 14th place
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes2018NassimPerformer24 January performance2020Double DeliciousPerformerFor Sydney Festival2020Torch the PlaceWriterFor Melbourne Theatre Company2025Dying: A MemoirWriterFor Melbourne Theatre Companyhttps://www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews/dying-a-memoir-review-a-generous-gift-2828890/
Radio
YearTitleRoleNotes2019–present Stop Everything! Host Podcast for ABC Radio National2019 Look at Me Host Podcast for The Guardian
References
External links
Benjamin Law on Austlit Interview for No Filter The Kids are Alright speech for Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Work for The Sydney Morning Herald Work for The Age